Michael Dellore
Identity Michael "Ash-tooth" Dellore is the current Caretaker of Artefacts of the Kingdom of Arathor and one of the few Magi currently active in the Kingdom. Physical Appearance Michael is a short man of about 5'8", with broad shoulders and a square jaw inherited from his father, a soldier. His hair is jet black and long, tied back behind his head and growing down to a full bear and mustache, both of which he keeps neatly trimmed. His front left tooth is missing, and he has a thin white scar over his right eye. His eyes are, on first inspection, brown, but a closer look will reveal that they glow with a faint blue, as if an arcane fire is glowing behind them, which is not far from the truth. He is not a handsome man, at best being described as 'rugged'. Beyond this, he is unremarkable. Personality Michael is somewhat pessimistic, usually expecting the worst possible situations to fall right into his lap. This is a habit he's picked up from experience, as usually, the words possible situation '-does-' fall right into his lap. He is not a devout man, in fact, by his own admission, he is entirely faithless, having lost what little belief in the altruism of the Light he had a long time ago. He believes in the existance of Gods and the Light, he just doesn't put any faith in them. When some people might say "Thank the Light", he usually prefers his own variation, "Thank feck". Regardless of this, he has great respect for those who -do- have faith, and sees the compassion demonstrated by most followers of the Light as a beacon in a dark, war-torn world. On a professional level, Michael tends towards calmness, usually finding the middle ground, the neutral path, to take. This might be construed as wisdom, but he just can't be bothered to deal with alot of arguments. On a personal level, he is very caring, and once earned, it is not easy to lose his respect and affection (although this has been achieved by certain people). He often worries himself about those close to him, far more than he should. Under stress, he bears up rather well, since he's usually under stress and pressure anyway. History Michael was born to a former soldier of Stromgarde and a farmer's daughter from Silverpine. He was raised on a farm in Hillsbrad, about an hour's walk from Southshore, and spent most of his life there. At the age of fourteen, he was sent to stay with his uncle, a skilled doctor and a renowned magician. After spending the summer rooting through his uncle's library, he was forever fascinated by magic. The hours spent digging through the many books served him well the next summer, when his father sent him on his Right of Passage. He was sent to hunt a massive bear, thrice the size of a grown man. He found it devouring the remains of a Dwarf. After his bowshot served only to enrage the beast, Michael was forced to flee, until he was cornered. Before the bear could kill him, he unleashed a spell he had read about without intending to, almost incinerating the bear. This incident earned him the name "Ash-tooth", and was the final nudge he needed to set his feet on the path of magic forever. He spent the next twenty years on the farm he was born on, his father dying when he was nineteen and his mother leaving to be with her family shortly after.Michael plied his trade to travellers, selling them useful spells and devices for their journeys, and even practicing some battle magic to keep his home safe from bandits and gnolls. For several years he had a relationship with a local woman, but this ended when her father sent her to Gilneas to marry his business partner. Michael never saw her again, and after the lockdown of the nation, he assumed her to be dead. Years after that, he met the young priestess Shariana Sunsdown, to whom he was very attracted. Unfortunately she left for Stormwind long before they could develop any intimate relationship. During the Plague, Michael remained in Hillsbrad, his tendency to grow his own food allowing him to avoid the Plagued grain. He remained out of the events of the Third War. At the age of 34, Michael was forced from his farm by rampaging Gnolls, which razed his farm and destroyed almost all his posessions, save a few he had kept safely buried in a strongbox behind his house. With nowhere else to go, Michael left to find a place with his father's people in Stromgarde. The first Arathorian he met was Nygarth, the then Orin (bishop). After explaining who he was, he was quickly accepted into the Arathorian military as an Acolyte. It was mere days before he realized just how alone he was in his magic, being one of only four magi in the entire kingdom. He quickly made friends, most notably Cedojr West. Bordas Gaze, Garodin Silversmith, and Jomell Pyroscrew. Early on, Michael decided to do something about the dire situation of magi in the kingdom, and began to seek out magic users who wished to study in the kingdom. He had the Tower of Arathor reopened, and began to catalogue and make use of the ancient library there. He used it to advantage several times, including finding a number of cures for curses, and to help perfect a scrying spell. He was soon named Caretaker of Artefacts in Arathor, and fulfills the role of Atir Magan (Archmage) until one is chosen. Since joining the Kingdom, Michael has travelled to many new places, including Stormwind, where he met and rekindled his friendship with Shariana Sunsdown. This rapidly progressed into a romance, and Michael now considers her one of the most important people in his life, even though the shortage of Magi in Arathor often means he is dragged away from spending time with her. Powers Michael is a skilled conjurer, able to summon almost anything or anyone you care to think of, as long as he knows exactly where it is. As well as this, his wards and magical devices are, in his opinion, second to none, and several defences around Stromgarde, including those guarding the prison and crypt, are his work. In battle, he summons a variety of energies, including fire, arcane and electricity to combat his foes. It is not unheard of for him to ignite the very floor around him to drive off foes. During larger battles, he hangs behind the front lines, focusing on supportive magic, warding his allies against harm and raining down flaming death on his enemies. He also has experience with various mind magics, able to look into someone's mind to search for signs of tampering, curses, damage, or various other afflictions. Recently he has mastered a -very- rudimentary teleportation spell, which requires the use of a complex pattern of runes tied to Dalaran. It works by following ley lines, but due to the complex nature of ley lines, it often misses, dropping its passengers in places far away from the intended destination. Relationships Friends: Tarielle Sunrise Alvilda Eldarion the Red Wolf Jomell Pyroscrew Bordas Gaze Merian Silversmith Aquaintances: Garodin Silversmith Cedojr West Elegost Dawnweave Various others. Special: Shariana Sunsdown - Lover Dr Brian Necoco - Great Uncle and former master in magic. (Note: This relationship is somewhat complex, as Dr Necoco is now a Forsaken, as of the Third War.) Quotes "Magic is like a woman. Dangerous, hard to get, damned harder to control, but dam it's goooood." - A drunken argument on the nature of magic. "Oh joy.... Yet more work." - Pretty much every day. "Sweet merry feck!" - Generic exclamation of shock Category:Alliance Characters Category:Humans Category:Males Category:Warlocks Category:Characters Category:Arathorians